Majorie, While Oconee County was not created until 1875, the name Oconee had been around much earlier in the name of Oconee River. According to The Georgia Almanac by James Crutchfield p. 92, Oconee was the Indian word for "the place of the springs" or "the water eyes of the hills." It might be an interesting project for you to try to see if the Georgians who show up in Illinois might have been associated with the failed attempt to establish the "Trans-Oconee Republic." Following the Revolutionary War, General Elijah Clarke (for whom Clarke County was named) headed up a group of Georgia settlers who decided to cross the Oconee River and set up an independent country in Creek territory. Since this plan violated treaties between the U.S. government and Creek Indians, this became a federal issue, prompting the President to send federal troops to Georgia to suppress this action which quickly collapsed. Might be worth investigating whether any of these Georgia ex-pats might have serv! ed with Elijah Clarke during the Rev. War. If they were involved with him in the Trans-Oconee Republic effort, it could explain why they would take the name Oconee with them to a new home. Ken Daniell > > From: "Eve B. Mayes" <ebmayes@myexcel.com> > Date: 2003/01/02 Thu PM 11:01:26 EST > To: GACLARKE-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [GaClarke] [Fwd: Oconee Co. Ga] > > Marjorie, I don't know the WHOLE story, but a number of families from the Jasper/Morgan Co., GA area (the next county south of Watkinsville, but still on the Oconee River) went into Illinois in the 1810-1820 era. Maybe that's how you got Oconee up there. > > Good luck! > eve > ----- Original Message ----- > From: jimmy > To: GACLARKE-L@rootsweb.com > Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 10:42 PM > Subject: [GaClarke] [Fwd: Oconee Co. Ga] > > > HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! > > > Please be sure to also respond to Marjorie Devore at scarlett1@bwsys.net > > Thanks > jimmy > > > > > Marjorie Devore wrote: > > > Hi JImmy,I can't believe Oconee is only as old as 1875! I am > > interested in who named it, for we have a town here in > > Illinois,Oconee, pronounced differently but spelled the same and is > > certainly older than 1875. We say it O-kun-ee with the accent on the > > O. since there quite a few Georgia settlers in the area, in two or > > three counties near Oconee, and some of these same people are in > > Burke, Oglethorpe, Jakcson co's, I am interested! I am searching for > > William Brown, among others, very early, would be clarke co. then I > > guess. Who is available to do research at the courthouse, library, > > etc. since a lot is not on this site? Thanksscarlett1@bwsys.net > > > > ==== GACLARKE Mailing List ==== > http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaclarke/ > Do you have images from the past? > Share them with everyone at http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaclarke/Pictures/. > > > > > ==== GACLARKE Mailing List ==== > http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaclarke/ > Share your Wills and Bible records with everyone. > http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaclarke/Records/Wills/index.htm > http://www.rootsweb.com/~gaclarke/Records/Bible/index.htm > >